Rush Week at Loyno!

Posted by Bridget Kratz

It’s rush week at Loyola! Every January, the three fraternities on campus spend a week showing off their best qualities and wooing potential new members in the hopes of building a strong pledge class to carry on their brotherhood for another year. The rushers put on their best faces and try to convince the boys that their fraternity is the best; the rushees eagerly wait to hear back about bids. At the end of rush week, each fraternity has a new pledge class and the process of integrating them into the chapter begins.

We have four sororities and three fraternities on campus as well six NPHC chapters (historically African- American fraternities and sororities). About 20% of students are involved in Greek organizations and many times serve as the leaders of the school. Being a member of the Greek community creates well-rounded individuals with a focus on scholarship, service, values- based leadership, as well as providing a fun social atmosphere. For the past one and half years, I have been privileged to be a member of the sorority Delta Gamma, a national organization founded in 1873. We have 147 chapters worldwide, 15,000 current members, and 171,788 living alumnae. I feel truly humbled to be a part of an organization so widespread and respected.

I went through formal recruitment fall semester of my sophomore year, a little bit unusual but not at all unheard of. I signed up for recruitment on a whim- I wanted to see what sororities were all about. None of my immediate family had been involved in Greek life at their colleges so I went into the process totally blind. Throughout the five-day recruitment process, I learned the personalities of each chapter, the different service organizations (or philanthropies, in Greek speak), and experienced a ritual with each organization. By the end of the week, I knew that I wanted to be in a Greek organization. Delta Gamma was the sorority I felt most at home with and now I can’t imagine my life without my letters.

Going through recruitment or rush can be scary, especially if you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. But being a member of Greek life at Loyola made my world here seem much more manageable- I have 60 girls backing me up every step of the way. Delta Gamma is my support, my fun, my study buddy, and my home. I encourage everybody to take the time to learn more about the Greek organizations on campus because you might just find something you love.